Using wine in cooking is a tradition that goes back many centuries; it builds countless false, complex, and fragrant notes into the rich ensemble of dishes, from beef stew to delicate sauce for fishes-furnishing great meals and complementing flavors with all the best of ingredients. Most importantly of all, it teaches when, how, and why to throw wine into a dish.
At its best, wine infuses foods with acidity, moisture, and hedger flavor. Much of that alcohol evaporates when heated, leaving the taste of wine’s fruity, earthy, or spicy notes to mingle with all the other ingredients in that dish. White wine livens up a creamy risotto, while using red wine makes the flavor richer with a braised lamb shank. Wine will enhance your cooking, whether you use it for deglazing a pan or slow roasting a roast.
Types of Wine for Cooking
Quite a few wines are unsuitable for culinary purposes. In general, dry reds and whites are more favorable in culinary uses related to savory ingredients. However, for dry white wines, the best Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris achieve an astonishing harmony with chicken, seafood, and sauce based on cream that is bright without overwhelming flavors. A rich dish that outlasts itself in holds of stews, braises, and tomato-based sauces: Mars of the dry red glare: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir.
“Cooking wine” sold in grocery stores should never be used, as it contains added salt and preservatives that will ruin your food. Use a wine you like drinking. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy bottle; just make sure it is a decent wine. If it tastes bad by itself, cooking with it will not improve the flavor.
When to Add Wine
When cooking with wine, timing becomes essential. Put it in soon enough so that the alcohol cooks off and flavors blend. Such deglazing, for instance, immediately after browning meat or sauteing the aromatic ingredients, could be performed with wine to make a sauce. An option for this type of dish is to let the wine simmer at the top of the cooking process, somewhat akin to COQ au Vin or beef bourguignon.. The same is true for pan sauces or finishing glazes; add the wine at the last minute, but allow it to be simmered for at least a few minutes to cook off the alcoholic bite.
Pairing Wine with Food
The notion of wine pairing during the cooking process should respect the same principles as with food pairing. Consider the weight and flavor of the dish. In that sense, bold red wines would overpower the delicate fish fillet, whereas crisp white wines might rob the full-bodied stew of its soul. Consider the wine here as an ingredient: It should enhance the overall flavor profile rather than compete against it.
Storage and Practical Tips
If you haven’t sipped the wine from the bottle while cooking, no problem. Pop it into the refrigerator for a week or freeze it into ice cubes for later culinary use. The wine that goes into cooking is among the many items in professional kitchens that have efficient storage techniques to keep them fresh. This is why many restaurants or caterers work closely with commercial refrigeration distributor to ensure proper storage conditions for perishable products, including opened wines.
Wine is an ingredient and a condiment that promotes the art of cooking. With proper use, wine brings something to the table that no other ingredient can replicate in richness. Most importantly, it is how one gets from an elementary understanding into something very advanced, of flavor, whether you are a gourmet chef or perhaps a home cook brave enough to try something new. Remember, cook with what you drink, add wine at the right time, and think of pairing wine with food. Your taste buds will appreciate it. See more.
